Strange Burning
by ps9906
Summary: After Trixie and Missy's escapade in the wine cellar things change but at least one of the BWGs aren't convinced. Can Dan protect his friend, Mark, from Missy's trouble and does he need to? This story is sandwiched between Her Heart's Desire and Hearts on Fire.


**Strange Burning**

**Chapter One**

"Kiss me, handsome," the female in his arms giggled. "Dan says you kiss all the girls."

"Dan talks too much," Mark said, grinning at the disheveled blond in his arms. "I don't think now is the right time."

"It's okay," Missy sighed, her eyes filling with tears. "I just thought…"

Mark felt a tug at his heart as he saw the vulnerability in her expression. _This is Missy,_ he thought, trying to suppress the protective instinct he was feeling. According to Dan, Missy was bad news. That was a complication Mark didn't need right now.

"Sit down, Missy," Mark said as he eased her onto the couch. They had finally made it to Missy's apartment, her nonstop chatter accompanying them. "I'll make you some coffee."

Dialing on his cell phone, Mark left a mumbling Missy as he went into the kitchen to make coffee. "Everything's okay," he told Dan. "Trixie is with Jim, and I'm at Missy's place with her."

"Missy?" Dan asked in surprise. "What's going on?"

"Those two uncovered an insurance scam along with a theft ring," Mark chuckled wryly.

"Trixie I can believe, but Missy?" Dan shook his head.

"Not only that, but they are both bombed," Mark added.

"Well, damn," Dan grimaced but his voice cracked with amusement. "How did that happen?"

"Let's just say they found the wine cellar," Mark grinned as he looked back at Missy who was still chattering to herself.

"How did you get stuck with Missy?" Dan asked.

"Luck of the draw but Trixie would have skinned me alive if I had pawned Missy off on Jim. It's not so bad," Mark laughed, "if only she would just be quiet."

As Missy broke out into a song, Dan laughed out loud. "I hear a private concert in the background. Maybe she'll do an encore."

"Maybe, she sure needs a lesson or two, " Mark mumbled as he fiddled with the coffeemaker. "Dan, what in the world did you say to Missy? She's been all over me."

"I doubt if I said anything," Dan laughed, "Can't you handle her, Romeo?"

"She wanted me to kiss her," Mark explained, "and if she wasn't so soused I...

"I'm warning you away," Dan interrupted, frowning. "She could give you lessons. That bitch may look sweet and innocent but she's a piranha, ask Jim."

"Yeah," Mark agreed, "I don't need a mess like her in my life." For some reason, the words stuck in his throat.

"I mean it, Mark," Dan warned him. "She really did a number on Trixie."

"I know," Mark sighed and poured the coffee as Missy's caterwauling became louder. "Listen, Dan, I have to go. Duty calls."

"I hear her," Dan chuckled. "Just keep it official."

Her back to him, Mark studied the blonde quietly for a moment. Shrugging off the unfamiliar feelings, he slowly approached her. At the sound of his steps, Missy turned around and gazed up at him. Giving the cup of coffee to Missy, he was stunned to see a tear slip down her cheek.

He cupped her chin and wiped the tear away with his thumb and asked, "Hey, what's this? Is my coffee that bad?"

"No," Missy sniffed, "it's just that if you hadn't stayed, there's no one else who I could turn to."

"Surely, one of your friends would have been here to help if you asked," Mark assured her.

Missy shrugged silently, too ashamed to admit that the few friends she had were no longer friends. She had ruined every relationship in her life.

"Thanks for seeing me home," Missy said, erecting the all too familiar protective wall around her.

Mark immediately saw the moment Missy hid herself from him. The softness around her vanished and her eyes became hard and unfeeling. Breaking the icy barrier that she had erected might not just be difficult but impossible. Still, something inside of him wanted to get to know the Missy he had witnessed in his car and just a few moments ago.

"I'll come for you tomorrow," he offered. "You'll have to file a police report and be interrogated."

"Interrogated?" Missy questioned nervously, her eyes wide with apprehension.

"You are a witness," Mark explained. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Missy closed her eyes briefly. "I just thought I was through with all that police business."

"It's okay, Missy," Mark assured her. "I'll go with you."

"You'd do that for me?" Missy asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Mark said softly as he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. Standing up he added, "I'll be back around eleven. You can sleep in that way."

"Thanks," Missy nodded.

"Will you be okay by yourself?" he asked suddenly. "I can stay for awhile if you need me to."

"I'm fine," Missy assured him. She gave a dry laugh. "Sometimes it's better to be alone."

Missy turned her head away, but not before Mark caught a flash of pain in her eyes. He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. "I'll see you tomorrow," Mark said, hesitantly. "Lock up behind me, okay?"

_Damn,_ Mark thought to himself as he drove home_. She is definitely not what I need right now. _ If Trixie or Dan knew what he was thinking, not only would they be upset by his betrayal, but amused that he had succumbed to Missy's ploys. No way was he going there. Still, try as he might, he couldn't shake the picture of Missy's blue eyes filled with longing.

Mark was still thinking about Missy the next morning when he arrived at the station. He was surprised to see a sleepy-eyed Dan walk in right behind him. "Home early, aren't you?" Mark asked.

"I went to Jim's to check on Trixie," he explained, "and then I drove Trixie home. It seemed pointless to drive by the station without stopping."

"How is Trixie?" Mark asked with concern. "No serious side effects, I hope."

"No," Dan grinned, "unless you count her older brothers and her parents but she'll have a hell of a hangover."

"Serves her right," Mark laughed. "Maybe she'll think twice next time."

"I doubt it," Dan said with a shrug. Then reluctantly he asked, "How's Missy?"

"She's fine," Mark replied with a frown.

"What?" Dan asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Mark shrugged, the sinking feeling returning as he flashed back to those vulnerable blue eyes.

"Listen, man," Dan sighed, "she made her own bed. Don't feel sorry for her. It'll lead to nothing but trouble."

"You don't think she'll change?" Mark questioned softly as he leaned back in his chair.

"I don't think she has," Dan clarified. "I don't know if she ever will."

"Don't you think she's worth the effort?" Mark tried again.

"And you think you're the man to do it?" Dan hooted. "The Romeo of the police force?"

"I thought that was you," Mark laughed good-naturedly.

Dan laughed with him, and then added, "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Mark answered noncommittally. "I'm going to pick her up at eleven. She still needs to answer some questions about last night."

"You do know Trixie will be here, too," Dan reminded him. "It might not be such a great idea to have those two together."

"I don't know about that," Mark said with a grin. "They seemed pretty tight last night."

Dan snorted. "This I've got to see. I can't believe the things that happen when I leave town."

Mark mulled over Dan's words as he approached Missy's door. As he stood waiting for her to answer, he felt a surprising rush of anticipation. When was the last time he had felt that way? Shaking off the unfamiliar emotion, he pasted a smile on his face to greet her.

"Right on time," Missy said as she opened the door looking none the worse for wear from the previous night's excursion. "Come on in while I get my things."

"No hurry," Mark assured her as he stepped inside. "Take your time."

"Just got to slip on my shoes and coat," Missy grinned up at him. "I don't want to be accused of keeping the NYPD waiting."

"Among other things," Mark laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Missy asked with a frown.

"Last night," Mark explained calmly, surprised at her defensive words. "You know, breaking and entering, public drunkenness, tampering with evidence. Do I need to continue?" He grinned at her confusion.

"Oh," she said, her cheeks flaming. "I thought…I mean, I didn't realize. Am I in trouble?"

"No," Mark assured her as helped her with her coat. Squeezing her shoulders slightly, he asked, "What did you think I was talking about?"

"It's nothing," Missy shrugged away from his grasp. "Are you ready?"

Mark grabbed her and turned her back around. "I've heard all the gory details, Missy. You don't have to try to hide anything from me."

"Good to know," Missy said curtly. "Are you ready?"

"Missy," Mark said softly, "you can't hide from me, so quit trying to hide from yourself."

That previous flash of vulnerability surfaced once again as Missy looked helplessly at Mark. Licking her lips, she said shakily, "Maybe the way I really am isn't someone I want to know."

"I think the real you is the one you keep hidden from everyone, including yourself," he told her. Unable to stop, Mark pulled Missy close and said, "Don't hide from me, Missy. I've seen glimpses of you that I doubt anyone else has. Don't cover that up."

Mark felt Missy relax in his arms and held her tighter. When the front of his shirt became wet, he stroked her hair. "Let it go, Missy. Whatever it is, let it go."

When Missy finally raised her head, she smiled with a rueful sniff. "I guess I am going to keep the department waiting." Wiping away her tears with Mark's handkerchief, she added, "Can you wait a few minutes while I fix my makeup?"

The ride to the station was quiet with Mark occasionally giving Missy a reassuring smile. Inside, however he was in constant turmoil. Over and over he argued with himself. What were these crazy feelings coming over him every time he was around her? He was used to crying women having dealt with them in his line of work, so why did her tears affect him so much? Why did he want to protect her from Dan's scathing remarks and Trixie's disapproving glares? He still didn't have any answers as they arrived at the station.

"Ready?" he asked as they pulled to a stop.

"Yeah," Missy answered, tugging her coat close, "as ready as I'll ever be."

When they entered the station, Dan looked up at them with a frown. Sensing Missy tense, Mark put a protective arm around her shoulders and gave Dan a challenging look.

With an inquiring arch of his brow, Dan stood to greet them. "The interrogation room will be empty in a few minutes," he told them. "They are just wrapping up Trixie's statement." He motioned to the small waiting area. "The Beldens and Jim are over there."

"Is that okay with you?" Mark asked Missy.

"I'm perfectly fine," Missy replied, stiffening her shoulders as she went to sit down.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Dan said in a low voice as Mark walked by.

Mark thought the same thing as the rest of the morning went by. Missy sat quietly, not appearing to be upset by the silence of Jim or Trixie's brothers. He felt relieved when Trixie appeared before them.

"Your turn, Missy," Trixie grinned with a smile, still a little bleary-eyed. "The detectives aren't near as bad as the Sarge. Just tell them it was all my fault."

"I might do that," Missy answered with a twinkle in her own eyes.

Trixie grasped Missy's arm. "I'll call you this week. We'll compare notes."

Smiling gratefully, Missy left the group and went into the interrogation room.

"What?" Trixie looked at the stunned looks of her family and friends.

Jim stood up and walked over to her. Putting his arm around her waist, he asked, "What gives? I thought you and Missy were enemies."

"A lot can happen in one night," Trixie replied with a shrug. "Besides, I've got to protect my partner in crime."

"Are you sure about this?" Jim asked, still uncertain.

"Jim," Trixie sighed, "I'm not giving her the key to my dorm room, if that's what you mean. I just don't want to hold a grudge anymore. It's too tiring."

When Mark returned later after taking Missy to pick up her car, Dan was still waiting for him.

"The sergeant wants to speak to us," Dan told him. "He said to wait here."

"That's fine," Mark answered. "I've still got tons of paperwork to do."

"Are you going to see Missy again?" Dan asked warily.

"Probably," Mark admitted. "Got a problem with that?"

"Not my problem," Dan shook his head.

"Let's just drop it, okay?" Mark insisted. He turned his back to Dan, and started on his paperwork. Maybe Dan had a right to feel like he did, but that didn't make Mark like it any better. One thing was for sure, either he or Dan would prove to be correct. It couldn't go both ways.

_Thanks so much to Karen for her wonderful editing skills. As my third Jixaversary story, I really felt the pressure but Karen has worked her magic again and given me new ideas to work with. Thanks again, sweetheart!_


End file.
